Twin snap-hook



(No Model.)

W. R. LAPSLEY 8v W. SALLEE.

TWIN SNAP HOOK.

10.59.3348. PatentedN0v.-16,1897g l 'la .UNIT-ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.v

wILLiAM R. LAPsLEY AND WALTER sALLEE, or MCAFEE, KENTUCKY.

TWINv SNAP-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,748, date-dNovember 16, 1897. Application filed December 28, 1896. Serial No.617,226. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM R. LAPsLEY and WALTER` SALLEE, citizens ofthe United States, residing at McAfee, inthe county of Mercer and Stateof Kentueky,have invented a new and useful Snap-Hook, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Our invention relates to harness strap hooks, and particularly to thatclass known as safety or snap hooks; and the object in view is toprovide a simple and inexpensive hook of sheet metal adapted to bestruck from a single blank, whereby the only subsequent manipulationnecessary to prepare the article for the market is the folding of themembers of the hook upon each other and? securing them in that positionagainst accidental displacement.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a safety-hookconstructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a side view ofthe same. Fig. 3 is an edge view. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the blank.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the draw-- ings.

In constructing the hook forming the subject-matter of our invention wepreferably employ a single-piece blank of sheet metal, which should beof spring-steel or equivalent yielding and elastic material. This blankis so constructed that its members at opposite sides of a centraltransverse line are coextensive and correspond in construction, wherebywhen the members are folded to occupy parallel planes the resultinghook, which is shown at 1, consists of a reinforced strapeye 2 andterminal laterally-open oppositely-facing hooks 4, connected with theeye by means of yielding arms 3, said hooks being adapted to beseparated to facilitate the engagement therewith of a ring 11 or anequivalent device by flexing said arms. In order to facilitate theseparation of the hooks 14, we preferably iiare or deflect the outerextremities thereof, as shown at 9, thus providing for the separation ofthe hooks by the forcible introduction between said iiared portions of aring 1l or its equivalent. Y

In order to providethe construction above indicated, we employ asingle-'piece blank having central and terminal enlargements connectedby the reduced portions forming the arms 3, as clearly shown in Fig. 4,and in this Vcentral enlargement, upon opposite sides of the centraltransverse line a: are formed openings 5, which when the blank is foldedupon said line a: register to form the strap-eye. The openings 8, whichare formed in the terminal enlargements of the blank, have throatportions 12 at respectively opposite sides, whereby when the blank isfolded, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, the throat of one hook isopposite the closed side of the other hook, and hence an object, such asa ring, in order t0 be engaged with the alined hooks must first beintroduced between the hooks in a plane parallel therewith and`subsequently turned when the inner side of said ring has been introducedsufficiently to lie in the transverse plane of said throats. Theresulting hook is provided with a reinforced eye 2 and also with areinforced hook or engaging portion, each of the hook-shaped terminalsforming a closure for the other; but a ring may be readily detached froma hook constructed as above described by moving it inwardly from theposition shown in Figs. 1. and 2 until its inner side .is arranged inthe plane of the throats 12 and then twisting it to cause it to passthrough said throat portion and bear against the closed sides of thehook members. By this means the hook members maybe separated to allowthe ring to be drawn out in a plane between the hooks.

In order to maintain the arms of the snaphook in their proper relativepositions, we preferably employ a rivet 7, engaging the blank contiguousto the outer sides of the openings 5, and hence at the bases of the arms3, and in practice we also prefer to twist the arms 3, after arrangingthem in contact, to dispose the arms and the hooks 4 in a planeperpendicular to the eye 2. This provides for flexing the arms withoutstraining the rivet,and hence adds to the durability of the article. Inthe drawings a strap 6 is shown in engagement with the eye 2 in Figs. 1to 3, inclusive.

IOO

Having described our invention, what We claim isl. The herein-describedsheet-metal snaphook having a reinforced eye portion, laterally-yieldingeoextensive arms projecting respectively from the members of said eyeportion, and terminating in hooks having respectively opposite throatportions and provided with outwardly flared or deiiectcd extremities,said arms being connected contiguous to their bases by a transverserivet and being intertwisted to dispose said hooks perpendicular to theplane of the eye, substantially as specified.

2. As a new article of manufacture, the herein described sheet metalsnap hook blank, having a central enlargement, and terminal enlargementsconnected with the central enlargement by reduced arm s, the cen'W'ILLIAM R. LAPSLEY.

lVALTER SALLEE.

XVitliesses:

JOHN McVANARsDELL, OLYDE WILLIAMSON.

